Three Promises
by Willowbright
Summary: Makoto senses that Ren plans on proposing to her when he invites her on a weekend hiking trip. Knowing her love's quirks in and out, she is absolutely determined to be as composed as he is - no matter what sort of Last Surprise he has in store for her! For Shumako Week 2020: Wedding/Proposal In conjunction with, Shumako Week 2019: Future/Family/Children


**Three Promises**

When Ren invited Makoto for a short hiking trip along the coastline of his hometown, she knew he planned on proposing.

Ren had a penchant for the grandiose and the unexpected in both deed and word. To an outsider, one would consider Ren a docile and unassuming young man. But to his close friends they knew whenever he found something he wanted to do, especially if it meant helping someone, he gave 110% of his efforts until it was accomplished. Thus, she expected some sort of showy presentation that he expected to sweep her off her feet and make her say yes.

Makoto was absolutely determined to maintain calm and composed.

She was currently waiting for Ren at the entrance of the forest trail. He claimed he forgot something and went back to get it. When she attempted to follow, he stopped her and implored her to stay where she was. She politely acquiesced.

It was still too early for surprises. Right?

Makoto sighed and leaned against the railing.

How would he do it? Writing in the sky? Her name in lights at the end of a holographic laser light show? A dramatic proposal as a big band played "their song" complete with a soloist singing her heart out? Set himself on fire?!

_ If it were me_, she thought, _ I'd probably propose something like equivalent exchange. After all, I'd want us to share our lives equally. _

While she mulled over the fact that maybe she had been slightly influenced by certain wacky marriage proposals in certain manga in her spare time, she felt a familiar pat on her shoulder.

"Yo, Makoto." came Ren's voice from behind.

Her heart leapt. She turned half-expecting him to whip out a gigantic bouquet of blue roses - or something. Ren simply smiled and waved his hand. "Thanks for waiting. Ready to go?"

"Oh, yes. Thanks for inviting me out."

They began their trek into the moss-laden forest. Makoto's eyes darted left and right. She kept her ears pressed for any kind of unusual noise.

"Makoto? You seem kinda jumpy."

"Jumpy? No, I'm excited. Excited beyond all measure. For whatever awaits us beyond this trail." she said, waving her arm stiffly.

"Uh, yeah. Me too."

The well trodden path wound between ancient cypress trees. Lush ferns grew at the base of each trunk. And all around them was a wonderful silence that gave one peace of mind. They walked without saying much, listening to the hush and hum of the primeval forest. Time and space had its own flow in this rugged, timeless realm.

They stepped over a fallen tree.

"I'm glad it's not muddy." she said. "It was a little foggy this morning so I thought the ground would be damp. And the temperature's quite comfortable in the shade."

She slipped off her jacket and tied it around her waist. "I wonder if we'll see deer."

"Probably not. They tend to avoid people." He trotted over to a stump and kneeled down. "Hey, Makoto check this out."

She cautiously peered over his shoulder.

Ren pointed at a pile of rocks stacked on top of each other. The smaller pebble sat atop the larger pebble like a miniature rock-snowman. "See this? It's a trail sign for scouts. Can you guess what it means?"

_ You planted this as some kind of signal? _"I'm inclined to say a child was stacking rocks for fun but if you say it's a trail sign then..." She pursed her lips then shrugged.

"It means straight ahead. By the way, if you want to tell someone to turn right, do this." Here, he placed a pebble to the right of the stacked pebbles. "And for 'turn left', you place a rock to the left of the pile."

"I see. How interesting. What other signs are there?"

"Uh, let's see. You can make an 'X' to warn people not to go this way and there's also..." He scratched his head. "We can look up the rest when we get back."

She closed in on him, eyes prying. "And have you used these signals before?"

Ren jerked back. He was a little taken aback by the intensity of her question. It felt a little like an interrogation. "Not me, no. But I've seen them before when I was a kid. Er, let's keep going. We're almost to the bridge."

He kept walking. Makoto stared after him. Nothing! Or perhaps that little pile of stones was some sort of breadcrumb trail that would eventually lead to the big surprise?

He stopped and turned around. "What is it?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing."

Just like Ren said, they arrived at the bridge not long after they came down a narrow slope. The sound of flowing water could be heard. A brook babbled beneath the makeshift bridge which was a series of wooden planks nailed together. It was wide enough for one person to cross at a time, single-file.

"Careful. It's a little rickety." He held out his hand. She took it. It wobbled under their weight but they kept their balance easily. Ren released her hand as soon as they crossed over it. Makoto noted a slight clamminess.

Ren sat down on a log mottled with moss and lichen. "Let's take a break."

Makoto sat down next to him and placed her bag on her lap.

"Makoto," She saw him reach into his bag and held her breath. Was this it? Would this be the moment where he'd pull out a small box and pop the question?

He produced a metal water bottle. "Want some water?"

Her shoulders sagged slightly. "I'm fine. I have my own."

She fished out her own bottle out from her bag and took a long drink in hopes that she would quell the embarrassment on her face. Ren watched her take three huge gulps as he sipped his own bottle.

"Oh, whoa. I didn't realize you were that thirsty. Maybe we should've stopped sooner."

"I'm fine." she replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Remember, it's important to stay hydrated even on a, uh, a semi-overcast day like this."

She watched stratus clouds, formless and gray pass overhead. Ren laughed and she turned to look at him.

"Don't worry. It's not gonna rain."

"Right. I know." she laughed nervously.

"Sure, but you always look a little nervous when you see rain clouds."

"I do not!" she snapped. "And anyway, it wouldn't be good to get caught in the rain. We'd probably have to take shelter under a tree."

"And we'd have no choice but to cuddle together in an effort to retain body heat and stave off hypothermia."

She threw him a look and he grinned playfully, waving his hand casually. "It'll be fine. Coastal weather's like this all the time. Clouds billow in from the sea and pass right over."

She pouted at him then turned away. Her cheeks felt flushed. _ Still nothing. Maybe I'm just overthinking things. _

She heard him sigh and to her it sounded as if he were disappointed. She turned back to see him hunched over, gripping his knees.

"Ren? Are you alright?"

"Huh?" he croaked. "Oh. Yeah. I'm good."

He hastily stood up. "My legs sort of fell asleep."

"Do you need to-"

"I'm good!" He shook them out. "I'm ready to keep going. How about you?"

"Uh-huh." She wanted to hold hands but before she could do so, Ren shoved both hands in his pockets and walked off at a brisk pace. He stopped to adjust one of his shoes before continuing on the trek to the beach. Was that some sort of signal? Her eyes roved around the trees.

They came to a bend. Of course! That's where the surprise would be. She quickened her pace and ran past him.

Ren yelped in surprise. "Makoto?! Wait!"

She scanned the area. Left and right. Above and behind. Nothing. Again!

"Makoto, what's the rush?"

She whipped around. "A, a, a Kite!"

"A Kite?"

"A Black Kite! I thought I saw one. In the sky."

He stared at her for a good long moment. "Those birds live in Hokkaido."

"They'll also migrate down here on occasion!"

"Yeah, but it's autumn. And besides they're usually spotted along the coast and estuaries."

He looked up at the dense canopy above them and scratched his head. "You must have really good eyesight to see something flying above the trees."

"Y-yeah. Oh, darn. I was hoping to get a picture of it." she laughed another awkward laugh. "Anyway, let's keep moving shall we?"

He raised his eyebrows, concerned. "Are you okay?"

She clasped her hands behind her back. "Yup! I was just thinking...when was the last time we went hiking? Near your hometown? This somehow feels _special_, you know?"

"Special, huh?" He rubbed his neck. "I always feel that way about all our outings."

He smiled at her brightly and earnestly. "Thanks for coming out with me today. I'm really glad you're with me. Always."

Though Makoto had promised herself not to get flustered, Ren always had a way to make her blush like no other. Her phone slipped from her hand. It bounced on the ground and tumbled down the slope and into a pile of flat-capped mushrooms.

Before she could dive after it, Ren thrust his arm in front of her.

"I'll get it. Wait here."

"No, it's my phone. I should-"

But he was already making his way down, testing the terrain with one foot, then the other. "Hate to say it but you're kinda jumpy right now, so you climbing down this slope probably isn't the best idea. Just give me a hand when I climb back up, okay?"

She bit the side of her mouth. Forcing herself to not be flustered was actually making her more flustered!

"Be careful..."

When Ren retrieved her phone from the mushroom pile, he held it aloft triumphantly and placed it securely in his pocket. She stretched out her hand and pulled him back up.

"Those mushrooms weren't edible. No campfire dinner for us. Darn." he joked.

She looked down and wiped some dirt off the screen. "Um, thanks. And sorry about that. What you said surprised me. I wasn't expecting to be told that."

"Oh. M-my bad. But I'm pretty sure I've told you before and you reacted normally... I guess I need to work on my timing?" He fiddled with his bangs.

"That's because…" She gasped. "You shoes are soaked!"

"But your phone is safe!" he said proudly.

"That's not the point! Hold on, I brought spare socks for both of us."

"It's not that bad. Just my toes." He wiggled them.

"No! A hiker must protect their feet from getting cold and wet. Otherwise you can get blisters or worse, trench foot." She shivered at the thought. "Isn't that what you told me one time? Go sit on that rock over there and dry your feet."

While he dried off his feet and shoes as best he could, Makoto heard him mutter under his breath, "At this rate, it won't be any good…"

"I'm really sorry." she said, squeezing her spare pair of socks.

"What? No, don't apologize." He laid his hand over hers. "My feet are fine. And it's okay if they're damp. The weather's warm enough. If it were winter, that'd be a different story."

"Can you keep going?"

"Yeah." He slipped his shoes on and chuckled. "Hold on to those socks. I'm amazed you packed for both of us. Ah, what am I saying? 'Always prepared' is your middle name."

She smiled wryly. "I wouldn't say always."

He chuckled mirthfully again. "C'mon, we're almost at the end of the trail. Ready?"

She took a deep breath. "Ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

The end of the trail brought them to a steep cliff overlooking the ocean. Strand grass blew in the breeze as if waving at the ocean itself. Shrubs of beach rose carpeted the cliffside.

As for a way down...

Ren pointed at the beginning of a steep incline. "Okay, I should have warned you before but we're going to have to climb down to the beach. Just take it slow and you'll be fine. Follow my lead, okay?"

They hopped down the side of the cliff as if they were navigating down stone steps carved by giants, and touched down on soft sand. They had finally arrived at what this long hike led up to: the beach, a sun-kissed stretch of sand and sea, hidden away from humans.

Makoto smiled to herself. _ I give up. I wasted the whole afternoon trying to anticipate his proposal when I should have been enjoying our time together. I don't know why I was so determined to beat him. Ren, whatever or however you plan on doing this, I'll accept it. _

The golden hour descended upon the white sand and foamy waves, casting everything in a warm light. The sky flared rose-pink and violet as the waves broke upon the shore and gulls cried overhead. Makoto smiled and spun around, taking in the scenery around her.

"So this is what you wanted to show me? It's beautiful." She gazed wistfully at the sunset. "Truly…"

She closed her eyes, listening to the ocean waves lapping on the sand. She held still and waited for the next sound she expected to hear: his voice, his proposal delivered in harmony with the song of the sea.

Ren opened his mouth to call her name. His throat was too dry and his larynx refused to work. He flapped his mouth a few times.

"Ma-"

He licked his lips and tried again.

"Makoto."

Her eyes flew open.

If Makoto had not been with him for this long, she would not have recognized that still, small voice belonging to her beloved. She turned and saw that he had sunk to the ground on one knee, looking quite pale. She hurried over to him, sinking to her knees and scattered sand over their shoes.

"Are you okay? Does your leg hurt? Oh, we did walk for a long time without stopping. I'm sorry, I should have noticed sooner!"

"No. Er, well, actually I wanted you to be standing for this but...this...this is fine." He gave her a shaky smile.

She blinked and noticed his hand was clamped over something.

It was a small box.

A small, black, velvet box.

Her mouth gaped open and she gasped softly. She hardly dared to breathe. This was-!

She glanced at him. Ren appeared to be exhibiting temporary signs of aphasia. She smiled, sat before him on her knees, and folded her hands in front of her.

"Ren, there's no need to rush. I'll wait for you, even if it takes ten years-"

"We're starting from ten years?" he laughed.

"Or next month, or next week, or tomorrow, or even right at this moment…"

She put her hand on his. "I'm ready to give my answer."

He sighed and choked out a laugh.

"In the end, you're the one who's composed when it counts. I really am no match for you, Makoto."

He hung his head but she saw that he was grinning from ear to ear which made her smile widely. "I've been influenced by a certain someone."

Another chuckle from him. Followed by a slow breath released through the mouth to steady himself.

When he raised his head to look at her, she saw the familiar confidence behind his eyes.

"Makoto Niijima."

Her heart stirred from the way he called her name. She nodded and waited for him to continue.

"There's no one else I want to spend the rest of my life with but you." He held out his hand. "If you would accept, I'd like for us to stay together. Always."

With great sincerity, she placed her hand in his. "Yes, I will. I'll have no one else but you, Ren Amamiya."

He slipped the ring onto her finger, both of them admiring the way the silver band adorned her ring finger.

He bowed his head and with a trembling hand, he brought her hand to his forehead. "Thank you, Makoto."

She had answered from the bottom of her heart and he would never forget that.

Makoto looked at him in wonder. This was probably the third time she had seen him very close to being moved to tears. She smiled gently and squeezed his hand in response.

When he lifted his head, he had that usual calmness about him. He stood and offered her his other hand.

"Shall we head back?"

"Yes."

They walked back hand in hand.

He rubbed his neck and let out an awkward laugh. "Sorry. I wanted to look cool when I proposed to you."

She laughed wholeheartedly and playfully swung their joined hands. "What are you talking about? You're always cool when we're together."

That made him smile sheepishly and rub his neck some more.

"To be honest, I was kind of expecting something crazy from you."

"Crazy?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"For example, um… you'd have an entire orchestra playing as you proposed or there would be an airplane flying a banner or something..."

"Oh?" His smirk returned. "It would appear Her Highness has _ quite _ the overactive imagination."

She frowned slightly. "I mean, can you blame me? I still remember that one Christmas where you burst in through the window to Ann's living room all dressed up in a Santa suit, ready to deliver presents for 'good Phantom Thief boys and girls'."

He chuckled heartily. "Fun times! I still have my Santa hat decked out in Christmas lights by the way."

"We were on the **fourth floor**! And it was snowing!"

He laughed again when she pouted adorably at him.

"I did think about doing something flashy. If fact, in some ways, it might've been easier…" He closed his eyes and shook his head. "But then, after thinking it through, I just wanted this moment to be between you and me."

He stopped and took both her hands as he turned to face her.

"I wanted to tell you how much you mean to me."

He looked down at their joined hands as the blush spread across his face and around his ears.

"Ren…" Warmth flooded her, moving her to confess how much he meant to her. "You've given me so much happiness and encouragement and I don't know if I'll ever be able to express my thanks in full. But I hope I'll be able to prove m-my love for you in the life that we'll share together."

Dusk overshadowed day, bringing with it the cool breeze of the evening. Ren stepped closer.

"Allow me to rectify my clumsy proposal at the beach."

He tenderly held her face and drew her in for a gentle kiss, one that transported her back to the day they confessed their mutual feelings for each other. It told her how dear and precious she was to him.

"Here's the first promise: I will cherish you and no other."

He kissed her again.

"And the second one's just like it: I will stay by your side until the very end."

He leaned in again and this time she was ready. Her hands reached up to caress his face and his arms came around her, enveloping her in a warm embrace, making this moment last twice as long and thrice as sweet.

"And the third promise?" she asked when they drew back.

"What is your wish, Makoto?"

She thought for a bit. She thought of her father and her mother and how their happiness together ended far too quickly.

"I want to know you, to understand you, better than I do now. I want to become a source of strength for you, to support you, just like how you continue to give me strength. So when difficult times arise, let's share in our struggles and help bear each other's burdens. I promise you, Ren, I'll be there with you."

They rested their foreheads against each other.

"And so shall I. All the way till the very end." he whispered solemnly.

"Yes."

* * *

After crossing the rickety bridge, he suddenly asked, "So uh, when did you realize I was going to pop the question?"

She smirked and tipped her face up at him coyly. "From the moment you invited me."

Her smirk waned as she saw his shy smile transform into his signature smirk.

"Ohh, so that's why you were all fidgety on our way here."

She gulped and raised her hands up defensively. "Ren Amamiya, whatever you're thinking of right now, do not-"

Faster than you could say 'knife' he swept her up in his arms and spun her around, laughing a carefree laugh that echoed through the trees.

"Speaking of which, remember our date at Destinyland? When you asked me to 'stay with you forever', is this what you meant?"

"I-I don't remember s-saying that! Put me down already!"

Instead he dipped her so that his arms supported both her back and knees in a bridal carry. "Don't tell me you're not enjoying this."

"No! _I'm not!_"

"Really. Your expression tells me otherwise."

She pouted again and he chuckled softly. Of course, they both knew she could wrest herself out of his arms if she really wanted.

"Okay, okay. I'll put you down. But let me practice a little. Just till we get to that rock."

They sat on top of a flat, weathered rock shaped like a stone table, for a short water break. Ren wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Phew, that wasn't so hard. After you said 'yes', the words just kind of came to me."

She raised both brows. "Were you scared I might say 'no'?"

"There was always that slight possibility. For example, you could be doing it for noble purposes, dismantling underground organizations of the criminal world, thereby putting the safety and freedom of the nation above your own happiness. Or relinquishing your love for me, for my sake or otherwise cause the end of the world, i.e the wrath of your sister." he said, waving his hand in the air, dramatically.

Makoto smirked. "Well, well, it would appear that even Joker has quite the wild imagination."

He leaned close and lay his hand over hers, whispering, "Only second to yours, Queen."

She felt her cheeks redden but she held his gaze. "If someone or something stood in our way, I'd fight to be by your side. I've made my choice. And no one can take that away from me. E-even if it was Sis. I know we would find a way to win her approval. No, that's exactly what we're going to do."

They now stood face to face. Ren took her hands and held them close to his heart. She spoke softly; words only meant for him.

"Remember, you and I are one now. And no one on earth can tear this bond asunder."

"And I swear on the promises we made this day, I will protect our mutual desire to be together."

With another affirmation of their promise, they left the sea, the forest, and it's winding trails behind, looking forward to the day they would publicly declare their commitment to become two souls united as one.


End file.
